Last update: 27 August 2023

Crew 07

Seventh plane to take off from the USS Hornet on 18 April 1942

Datasheet

- Aircraft Squadron:	95th Bombardment Squadron
- Serial number plane:	40-2261
- Name of the plane:	The Ruptured Duck- Individul marking : Ruptured Duck marking
- Take off date:	18 April 1942
- Take off time:	Take off @ 08.43 am ship time USS Hornet
- Place in line to take off:	7th
- Take off direction:	Take off @ about 35 40 N 153 40 E
- Bombs on board:	1 cluster incendiary + 3 demolition bombs
- Bombed area in Japan:	Kawasaki
- Bombing of Japan - local time:	12:40 pù
- Fate crew - 18 april 1942:	Crash landing in the South Chinese Sea in front of the Chinese coastline - 09:40 pm
- Fate plane - 18 april 1942:	Crash landing in the South Chinese Sea between Ningbo and Taizhou, China

The Crew

95th Bombardment Squadron

Target

Kawasaki

The story of Crew 07

The plane was after 15 hours of flying intended to land on the shoreline of a small island before the coast of China but the landing was very hard and 4 of the 5 crew members were seriously injured when the plane overturned. The location fell under the jurisdiction of Sanmen County located in the Zhejiang Province. Three crew members were catapulted through the aircraft's navigation window.

Location of crash @ about 29°03'28.4"N 121°40'11.0"E All were saved by their Engineer/Gunner Sergeant David Thatcher. David Thatcher received the Siver Star for his actions of dedictation in a dangerous environment.

Although 4 of the 5 were heavily injured the Chinese resistance smuggled them into the city of Haiyou (29°07'04.4"N 121°22'57.8"E) From there they were brought by local Chinese Sedan chairs (see picture) to Linhai. 28°51'21.1"N 121°08'31.1"E In Linhai they had better medical treatment. One of the crewmembers leg would have to be amputated

Despite the fact that the crew stayed in many places in occupied China, they managed to escape the Japanese occupiers. Initial care was administered by Dr. Thomas White, who was on board Aircraft 15 as an engineer/gunner and came to help after he bailed out of his plane and heard about the injuries of 4 crew members of plane 7. After his leg was amputated the pilot recovered in Linhai Enze Medical Bureau in Linhai before going back to the United States.

The crew never arrived in Chongqing. They were guided to Guilin in the Giangxi province, China and brought back to the United States were several were hospitalized for a longer period. In the picture you see Pilot Lawson in the Walter Reed hospital in Wasington D.C. on 25 July 1942.

Lieutenant Robert Clever was KIA on 20 November 1942 in Versailles, France. He was buried in Portland, Oregon.

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Pictures copyright @ nara-usa - public domain - Picture 3 = public domain - taken from picryl.com - public domain collection - Members of crew 07 treated in Enze Hospital in Taizhou - april 1942 - Left to right - Dean Davenport -Charles McClure - Robert Clever (correct?) - Picture 4 = public domain - taken from picryl.com - public domain collection - Enze Hospital in Taizhou, 1904 - Picture 5 = public domain - taken from picryl.com - public domain collection - Officials celebrating establishment of Enze Hospital in 1901. Crew picture : copyright @nara-usa - public domain - colored by : Our colorful history @ https://www.facebook.com/historyrestored - used with permission - Thank you so much for the wonderful crew pictures.